The present invention concerns an in-line connection system for partitions.
Freestanding partition systems commonly include preconstructed rectangular partitions and connectors configured to interconnect the partitions in in-line and perpendicular arrangements. The in-line partition arrangements present special problems, since it is easy to site along the in-line partitions and see wandering and snaking of a long (or short) run of partitions. Notably, wandering and snaking is visually unacceptable to many consumers, since it can lead to a cheap appearance and also since it can cause irregular office sizes. Part of the reason for the wandering and snaking is that many known in-line connectors do not provide sufficient bending strength at the joint line to force the partitions into true alignment. Instead, many of the known in-line connectors allow the partitions to be connected at a slight angle relative to the other, either due to local deformations of the connectors and the partition and/or due to clearances and tolerances in the holes and other connecting features. This problem is aggravated in partition frames having horizontal frame members with cantilevered end sections that extend to vertical side edges of the partition frames, because the cantilevered end sections undergo torsional and bending stresses that aggravate the wandering and snaking effect. At the same time, the cantilevered end sections are advantageous in that they allow utilities and wiring to be more easily routed at the vertical side edges of the partition frame. For example, they allow easier routing when the wiring and utilities must be extended around corners into perpendicular partitions or when the wiring and utilities must be extended around corners upwardly into ceiling sources of utilities or downwardly to floor sources of utilities.
Accordingly, a connection system is needed that solves the aforementioned problems and that has the aforementioned needed advantages.